** Bomb Found at Home of 17 Year Old Muslim Arrested in Amsterdam **
Dutch police arrested a 17-year-old boy at his parents’ house in Amsterdam during an investigation into a terrorist group linked to the murderer of filmmaker Theo van Gogh. Officers found a homemade bomb in the boy’s room.
The boy, who is Dutch and wasn’t identified, was investigated for publishing “extreme Muslim texts” on the Internet, and arrested on July 11, a spokesman for the public prosecutor, Wim de Bruin, said today. He appears in juvenile court tomorrow, when a judge will decide how long he can be held.
The boy was detained by Amsterdam police investigating the Hofstad group – an alleged Islamist militant network.
National prosecutor’s office spokesman Wim de Bruin said the boy was accused of “actions to prepare an attack, terrorist or otherwise”.
The office said in a statement that the device consisted of a tube filled with gun powder, small bullets and a detonation mechanism.
“The investigation is aimed at discovering if he had contact with the Hofstad network,” it added.
More than a dozen suspected members of the network are awaiting trial on terrorism charges.
** More from the Netherlands **
News agency ANP reported that his parents are of British and Dutch descent. The youth converted to Islam at the age of 14 and quickly became radicalised.
